1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to a lightweight solid body guitar and, more particularly, but not by way of limitation, it relates to an improved solid body guitar constructed largely of balsa wood yet having all necessary features of strength and tonal response.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Applicant has discovered no prior art that is directly in point in that it teaches the lessening of weight of a solid body guitar by using a skinned balsa wood. The closest prior art may be characterized by a U.S. Pat. No. 4,185,534 which teaches construction of a low cost, reduced weight guitar wherein the solid body is a foamed polystyrene. This construction enables lightweight and what amounts to a good practice type of guitar; however, the polystyrene body exhibits poor sound qualities and contributes nothing to desirable intonation. U.S. Pat. No. 3,427,915 in the name of Mooney teaches the construction of a multi-ply panel for the use in hollow body stringed instruments such as a violin wherein a strip of balsa can serve as a center ply between rigidifying outer plys. This is still a usage contributing to a sheet material and not such as a solid material suitable for solid body stringed instruments. Little if any other teachings have been encountered which relate to even similar usages of material to lighten solid body instruments, especially without destroying or greatly altering tonal quality.